Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator returns to Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.

“Earl is a fantastic addition to our top-tier Transportation practice, and his leadership experience in both the public and private sectors will be extremely valuable to our clients,” said Janice Hogan, Practice Group Leader for the Global Regulatory & Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology (IPMT) group. “During his tenure at one of DOT’s prestigious agencies, Earl led the FMCSA’s work on developing and issuing the agency’s first regulations on the operation of autonomous vehicles, a top priority for our transportation and automotive clients. He also directed the Agency’s work on alleviating supply chain issues across the freight industry, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Adams, who served as both Deputy Administrator and Chief Counsel for the FMCSA, advises on compliance and enforcement matters for various transportation clients, including surface transportation, intermodal, electric vehicle (EV), autonomous vehicle (AV), air travel, and infrastructure providers. Drawing on his deep government leadership experience, Adams will advise transportation and mobility industry clients across our global MOVE Sectors on a broad spectrum of regulatory, litigation, and corporate matters and help grow Hogan Lovells’ Band 1 Chambers-ranked practice. 

“Earl joins at an exciting time for our Transportation practice,” said Transportation Practice Area Leader Joanne Rotondi. “Following the implementation of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there is growing demand from our existing transportation and infrastructure clients on matters ranging from supply chain management to renewable energy infrastructure. Earl’s experience will bolster our already strong team, as well as help expand our multi-modal, integrated offering in the automotive, rail, trucking, fleet operations, and aviation spaces.” 

In addition to his leadership roles at the DOT, Adams served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), including Chairman of the Board from 2019 to 2021, a governor-appointed position, as well as the Agency’s representative on several Interagency Policy Committees created by President Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, advising on issues involving innovation and technology. Additionally, Adams is an alumnus of the firm, having joined as an associate in 2002.

Prior to Adams’ most recent public sector tenure, he also served as Office Managing Partner at a Washington, D.C. firm, where he advised transportation, infrastructure, and renewable energy clients on regulatory and compliance matters. 

Adams said: “I am thrilled to join Hogan Lovells’ preeminent Transportation practice. As we’ve witnessed in recent years, the transportation and infrastructure sectors are critical to domestic and global business. The firm provides an ideal platform to expand my practice in a time of rapid technological advancement, particularly for AVs and related areas, as well as increased global investment.” 

“We are very happy to welcome Earl back to our Washington, D.C. office,” added Washington, D.C. Office Managing Partner Ajay Kuntamukkala. “As a firm long recognized for providing clients with business critical regulatory advice, we are continuing to build our team across key sectors such as transportation.”  

Adams earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School, as well as a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College.